6 signs you need to find a new job

If you are experiencing any or all of these issues, perhaps it’s time to bite the bullet and find a new job.

Change is hard, which is why so many of us stay in jobs we hate until something (or someone) forces us to move on. Here are six warning signs that it may be time for you to cast that vote and leave your job:

1. Your performance is dropping

Your work environment no longer brings out the best in you. Your motivation is low so you only do what you have to do. This “bare minimum” approach is impacting your performance, the outcomes you deliver and ultimately your reputation. This type of damage can have long-term consequences, including making it even harder to get that next job.

2. Your values are misaligned

Your values and those of the organisation are out of alignment so you feel like you have to change who you are when you’re at work. This may result in you feeling uncomfortable to voice your opinion, or finding yourself forced to support ideas that go against what you believe in.

3.“Cynic” is now your middle name

You spend large parts of the day complaining about what’s happening at work. You don’t trust your colleagues and you no longer offer ideas on how to improve things. You only complain about them.

4. You are constantly worried you are next in line

Your workplace is forever restructuring and making people redundant, and you are constantly worried about when the axe will fall on your role. You can see that technological change is going to consume your job.

5. You’re on the brink of burnout

You feel burnt out and the physical signs of stress are presenting in how you behave at home with your friends and family. You feel exhausted all the time and the thought of going to work makes you feel anxious or highly emotional. You dread Monday morning, and likely drink several glasses of wine or beer in the evening to drown out the day.

6. You’ve stopped learning

You don’t feel like work is challenging you. You’re bored or uninterested by what’s going on. You feel like there’s no more room to grow or expand your horizons. You need something else to push you so you’re not always working on autopilot and counting down the clock.

How many of these conditions can you relate to? All, none or some? If it’s all or some, it’s time to seriously think about overhauling your career. It’s time to change and get in shape!

This article is an edited extract from Michelle Gibbings book “Career Leap: How to Reinvent and Liberate your Career”.